steve schmidt and many others will all be helping us bring you the big show. starting at 8:00 p.m. eastern going all the way to midnight. we will see you tomorrow. mile high showdown. as president obama and mitt romney prepare for tonight's crucial debate, our brand new poll numbers show where they stand. midair mess. another incident of loose seats on an american airlines flight and now the company says it knows why. and shock value. daredevil magician david blaine goes high voltage in his latest stunt. good morning, everyone, i'm lynn berry. those stories and more straight ahead. this is "first look" on msnbc.

and we're going to begin this morning with high stakes debate. all eyes turned to denver for tonight's first presidential debate of the 2012 race. and a new nbc/"wall street journal" poll finds president obama is hold on to his national lead. but not by very much. 49% of likely voters favor the president. while 46% prefer mitt romney. that's only a 3% edge for obama which is within the survey's margin of error. but when it comes to a pool of registered voter, the president widens his lead over romney by 7 points, 51% to 44%. now a national survey says the nation is headed into the right direction. both candidates took a break from their debate prep on tuesday to make a few unscheduled stops. nbc's steve handelsman reports from denver. >> reporter: the pressure is

intense. president obama took time out for a visit to hoover dam. >> it's spectacular. i've never seen it before. >> reporter: mitt romney grabbed a burrito bowl. doug hudson, andrew lumpkin and chris conroy run bicycle companies in colorado. they took me out to red rocks. these guys will watch the debate. andrew hoping for a breakthrough by his candidate, mitt romney. >> i want him to talk about conservative values, especially economically. empowering small businesses. >> reporter: chris used to vote republican. not anymore. >> what really change my mind recently is it seems to have got an way from taking care of the little guy. >> reporter: doug is undecided. >> i'd like to see details both from romney and obama. mainly on tax policy. >> reporter: vice president biden charged team romney would hike middle-class taxes. >> how they can justify raising taxes in the middle class that

has been buried the last four years. >> reporter: republicans jumped on that, buried by obama? >> vice president biden just today said that the middle class over the last four years has been, quote, buried. we agree. that means we need to stop digging by electing mitt romney the next president of theitis. >> reporter: that's the kind of zinger sure to be heard at debate number one. i'm steve handelsman, nbc news, denver, colorado. >> and of course we'll have complete all-day coverage leading up to tonight's first 2012 presidential debate and then be sure to stay tuned for the main event, that starts at 9:00 p.m. eastern time right here on msnbc, the place for politics. last night on "the ed show" president obama's senior campaign adviser, robert gibbs, describes what he hopes to hear at tonight's presidential debate. take a listen. >> i hope the moderator gives

governor romney a chance to do what paul ryan said he didn't have time to do and that is explain how they pay for a $5 trillion tax cut. as you pointed out, ed, it is a time problem that is vexing in this budget. it's a math problem. they can't pay for it. if they can't pay for it to provide the tax cut for the rich then they're going to raise taxes on the middle class. that's what the economic studies have shown. look, i don't know anybody who thinks we' we're another tax cu a millionaire away from a stronger middle class. >> watch ed schultz every night at 8:00 p.m. eastern on "the ed show" on msnbc. a judge in pennsylvania has blocked the state's stricter voter inch d. law. ruling means that voters in pennsylvania will not have to show a state-approved i.d. to cast ballots on election day. the judge said he was concerned that the law could prevent some

people from voting. the stricter voter i.d. laws in four states remain but tougher laws in at least six other states were either shelved or watered down, including those in a few swing states. american airlines now says it knows why passenger seats broke loose causing a pair of emergency landings. they originally called for 8 of its aircraft to be inspected, later ordered 47 aircraft to be checked. they blame the problem on clamps that were not properly installed. they continue a contentious renegotiation over its labor agreements. both the airline and union representing its mechanics deny labor issues played know role in the seat problem. here's your "first look" at some of the other news going on around america today. we are going to begin in minnesota where a wheelchair bound suspect suffered a brutal beating while in police custody. the officer pummeled the

intoxicated man and pulled him out of his chair after being hit in the face. the department has now placed that officer on administrative leave and requested he be charged with assault. tough to watch there. next to texas where a passer-by sprang into action to help a driver trapped in his burning car. the good samaritan pulled the driver from the vehicle just before it became fully engulfed in flames. both men survived without any injuries. in rhode island, luck may be the only way to describe how a female poodle mix survived being run over. the pooch was wedged in the grill of the vehicle for 11 miles. can you believe that? the dog's harrowing ordeal came to an end when another driver spotted her legs. susie, the miracle dog is just fine and has since been reunited with her owners. this is a story trending big-time all across the blogosphere.

a south carolina family will not be hitting the like button. the pictures were taken at a party thrown by teens who broke into their home. partygoers have revealed the main culprits are classmates of the kids that live in the home. maybe got a little scoop there. now for your national weather let's turn to nbc meteorologist bill karins. he's shaking his head like been there, done that, i know how that goes. >> so many people in our generation is so happy there wasn't social media in our high school days. >> we just had observant neighbors. >> yes. >> those cared aren't supposed to be parked in the driveway. >> been there, done that. we thought we'd get away with that one. >> good morning, everyone. the weather around the country is going to be interesting to say the least the rest of this october. it will be different than what we've been dealing with. this is the october temperature forecast. we've had an unbelievably warm 2012. we've off the charts, on pace

for warmer than average. now the prediction for october is for a good chunk of the eastern half of the country to see cooler than normal temperatures which we haven't seen. get ready for a big change. that's coming starting today. the west we're still expecting a pretty warm october for you. here's the beginnings of the cold air up here in montana with temperatures in the 40s. the rest of the country is a warm morning. we're at 70 degrees to start your morning in washington, d.c. be prepared for a warm, humid day today. we have a couple showers in florida but it's a dry day. the only really trouble area with showers and wet weather will be here here in montana. that's snow in the northern rockies from monzula northward. a few showers in the east today but not a lot of trouble out there. not like yesterday witthat heavy rain in new england. just fog to deal with this morning. >> thanks so much, bill. coming up, tech titans duel. and beer bounces back.

and the city that is cracking down on snacks. your "first look" at this morning's business headlines is straight ahead. plus paul ryan is the latest victim of bad lip reading. that's ahead in scrambled politics. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. [ female announcer ] ready for a taste of what's hot? check out the latest collection of snacks from lean cuisine. creamy spinach artichoke dip, crispy garlic chicken spring rolls. they're this season's must-have accessory. lean cuisine. be culinary chic.

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in the news this morning, the depp of homeland security is under fire for spending hundreds of millions of dollars on an anti-terror program tracking u.s. citizens. a bipartisan senate report claims dozens of so-called fusion intelligence centers have come up with mostly useless information. secretary janet thnapolitano's office calls the information misleading. fit in charlotte, the flight had to do a good-around due to a thunderstorm cell that left some passengers a little queasy. later, the jet was diverted from andrews air force base to dulles

due to a low cloud ceiling. pope benedict's former butler declared his innocence against charges he stole personal documents from the pontiff. however, he admitted photocopying the pope's private correspondence. vatican police testified they found thousands of pages of documents inside his apartment. also in vatican city, a dramatic but unrelated protest. a man climbed on to the dome of st. peters basilica, unfurling a protest banner. at least report he was still up there. after checking out a tip, police near detroit say missing teamsters boss jimmy hoffa is not buried in the driveway of a home, neither is anyone else. starting friday night, magician david blaine is going to stan in the middle of 1 million electrical volts for three days without any food. his body suit and metal helmet

will keep him safe inside the lightning storm. the real danger will come from sleep deprivation and deadly gases. here's your "first look" at this morning's dish of scrambled politics. the president has recently been outspending mitt romney in a key swing state. "the new york times" reports that over the last two weeks in colorado, president obama's campaign and its allies ran seven television commercials for every five ads run for mitt romney. seems free will is still surviving the 2012 presidential campaign so far. a poll in "usa today" finds that 18% of romney supporters and 24% of those who say they back president obama could still change their mind based on what happens in the debates. and according to pugh research, more than six in ten voters are likely to watch the debate tonight. a majority, 51% to 29% think that president obama will do better than mitt romney. rocker jon bon jovi is busy

this week doing performances to support president obama. he has two appearances in iowa on friday. las vegas on saturday and on sunday he's going to perform at an obama fund raiser with stevie wonder and katie peri. this always sells. the web side bat lip reading is choosing paul ryan for its next victim after previous satires of president obama and mitt romney. they reworked a ryan video substituting different bizarre words as only bad lip reading could do. take a listen. >> i went into a starbucks building and everyone started collapsing. and i went to steve-o. he said he slipped into the future. he said ask about the special because it's doughnut day. >> that will never get old. that's your morning dish of scrambled politics. and now here's your "first look" at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow closed at 13,482 after losing 32 points yesterday.

the s&p was up a point and the nasdaq gained six. taking a look at overseas trading this morning, in tokyo, the nikkei fell 39 points but in hong kong, the hang seng added 47. a mixed day on the street could be the story for much of the week. on tuesday, material stocks stalled the dow after the country's largest fertilizer company reported weak global deman. meanwhile, news that spain will not ask for a bailout also wo y worried investors. safe havens helped the s&p stay in the black. the uneven trend is likely to last through friday ahead of the monthly jobs report, speaking of which new congressional research finds almost 2,400 people who received unemployment back in 2009 lived in households with annual incomes of $1 million or more. back on the street, news that t-mobile parent deutsch tellcom may buy metro pcs.

it sent the stock soaring 18%. auto saleses were up 13% overall last month with toyota and honda posting double digit gains. gm and ford sales were mostly flat. apple and samsung's bitter patent battle goes on. a temporary sales ban against the galaxy tab 10.1 which a jury did not infringe on apple patents has been lifted. samsung has added the iphone 5 to that battle. watch out mini cooper, "the wall street journal" reports nissan is bringing back the datsun in emerging economies. the bare bones version will go for as low as 3,000 bucks for a whole car. that sounds nice. what do you think of this? rome is cracking down on

snacking. there's a new law banning eating near the city's historical sites and it carries a fine of up to $650. i would not do well there. coming up, triple crown cabara. and man u. on a roll. and one yankee plays hero twice in one night. ah. fire bad! just have to fire roast these tomatoes. this is going to give you a head start on your dinner. that seems easier [ female announcer ] new progresso recipe starters. five delicious cooking sauces you combine with fresh ingredients to make amazing home-cooked meals.

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the magic number for the new york yank siz with one. raul ibanez came in clutch last night twice. down 3-1. ibanez tied it with a pinch-hit two-run homer in the ninth. they had an rbi single in the 12th helping yanks beat boston 4-3. a win tonight or loss by the orioles will get new york to the a.l. east crown. to miami where adam greenberg got his first at-bat since being hit in the head by a pitch seven years ago in his only other mlb appearance. he signed a one-day contract with the marlins just before the game and came in as a pinch hitter against the mets. as you can imagine, everybody was rooting for him. but greenberg did strike out on three pitches. the marlins went on to win it, 4-3 in 11 innings. in kansas city, miguel cabrera picked up two hits and two rbis in the tigers -2 loss

to the royals. with a .331 average, 44 home runs and 139 rbis, cabrera is on the brink of becoming the first triple crown winner in 45 years. to soccer, robin scored two goals for manchester united, extending their winning streak to the start of this season's champions league with a 2-1 victory over cluche. let's get a check of the weather with nbc meteorologist bill karins. he has that forecast for you. i saved that soccer picture for you. >> that was fantastic. >> i know you have been tracking man u. for a while. >> i follow the soccer a little bit. the team they played i don't know. i don't know much about them. good morning, everyone. we have a lot of fog and warm humid air right along the eastern seaboard. that may greet you as you head out the door. once it breaks it could go up to the mid-80s in areas like virginia, north carolina and

d.c. be prepared to are that. a few showers up in new england. the big changes are coming, though. enjoy the warmth in the middle of the country all the way to the northern plains. chicago is one of those examples of the temperatures falling. by this weekend, high temperatures in the low 50s. that means lows in the 30s. >> they're getting ready. bill, thanks so much. greece is singing duo, john travolta and olivia newton are at it again. and drama on the set of "american idol." ♪ into a scooter that talks to the cloud? ♪ or make 70,000 trades a second... ♪ reach one customer at a time? ♪

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here's what people are talking about.

the first debate between barack obama and mitt romney is tomorrow night. and the campaigns are doing whatever they can to get ready. actually i heard that the obama campaign is a little worried because during his flight to nevada on sunday the president apparently watched four hours of football instead of studying. although it did mark the first time all year obama's seen something get passed. very interesting. >> tonight jimmy welcomes funny man martin short, actor logan and a musical guest. that's at 12:35, 11:35 central time on your local nbc station. tmz is reporting a trouble on the set of "american idol." we knew this was coming, right? >> is it set up, though? is it real. >> we shall see. new judge nikcki minaj threatend to knock out mariah carey over a

disagreement on a contestant. she said she's not going to put up with her highness. we cleaned that up for tv. the sing he's of the best-selling duet in pop music history, "you're the one that i want" will be reuniting. they have a holiday album coming out. proceeds go to charity. liam neeson bared all on "ellen" tuesday. he stripped down to hot, hot pink underwear, sat in a dunk tank chamber and got soaked by an audience member and raised $20,000 for breast cancer research. looking good, liam. >> good for him. and sy is saying he will do the gangnam style topless if it reaches number one. can we all keep our clothes on,

everyone. >> we're raising money. let's all take it off. >> whoa. our ratings will go up too, right? >> maybe. >> that's debatable. i'm lynn berry. this is "first look" on msnbc. stay tuned. "way too early" with willie geist is next. tonight's the night, president obama, mitt romney will stand together on the same stage for the first time in this long campaign as they debate in denver. the question is, can either candidate move the meter with a big piece of the country tuning in or are we asking too much of a single debate? we'll find out tonight. a battle of dualing videos from the vault. president obama in 2007 telling an audience of african-american ministers that the federal government didn't care as much about katrina victims than it does other disasters. and paul ryan declaring that 70% of the americans want the american dream. the others want the welfare state. the question is do either of these impact the way voter